ubiquitous

Looks great! Would have been nice to take it a step further and have a bracelet coated to match! That would be a nice option when you want something different from a strap

Nice work, Slarti! Very creative!

I'd like to get my hands on one of these...

FGD dials were a limited run. No web site to buy from; if you wanted to procure one, you'd have to go to the man himself. This was more or less a custom effort to which he extended availability to members of the forum.

Just got back from getting the watch pressure tested, etc. All set to submerge into the H2O depths should the need arise.

Thanks for the kind comments, gang I certainly do hope that this helps inspire others to give building/modding a try. It's a fun project, though maybe not the most cost friendly; I'm less than halfway to a gen. If you take the base watch out of the equation and factor in what a gen case, movement, etc would cost, the project would be more than what a gen at current secondary market prices would run. I sourced some parts from Ofrei- Others were found elsewhere. It definitely pays to shop around as some parts were picked up for significantly less than what they can usually be sourced at from the supply houses. As for movement- I did consider maybe fitting in an ETA 2892, but cost just didn't make sense for something hidden behind a caseback. The 2824 does a good job in it's own right and I feel it's adequate for this kind of project. Plus, the 2892 is a thinner movement and has a different profile compared to the 2824; the stem may not have lined up center in the tube without some work. A gen 2500 would have been nice with the 25k beat rate, but again, it's cost prohibitive and the issues with fit were a concern. So, all in all, a nice piece to wear and enjoy. This project also satisfied my curiosity as to how a PO might fit into my collection without spending the extra to procure the gen.

Lighting is crucial for me. I set my camera to the motion setting to leverage the quickest shutter speed available within my settings and environment. I use this method as I don't use a tripod; hand holding each shot requires as little shake and disturbance as possible, so the faster shutter helps reduce motion, resulting in a clearer pic for me. Since the shutter is operating at a faster setting, lighting is critical since the quick shutter doesn't allow for a lot of exposure. Not sure if that makes sense or not...

Anymore, I tend to prefer trading when it comes to modded pieces like this. An exchange for a piece with similar content value and build is easier for me to stomach than trying to sell, justify costs, taking a loss in parts depreciation/write down, etc. By trading with a piece on an even keel, I feel the terms to be a little more equitable for both parties

Personally, I just let my watches wind down and let the mainspring and hack lever relax (i.e. no unnecessary tension on these parts). Since the hack lever comes in contact with the rim of the balance to stop movement, I'm not certain if there is any detrimental effect to keeping a movement in the hacked position for the long term.

Nice GMT hand on that one

Well, if I build an all orange pumpkin, the wifey is likely to take it since her favorite accessory color is orange. And since she is in utter amazement over the effects that Chief's double AR provides... Well, I have a feeling I won't be recovering any costs. Rather, it will be another expenditure

Mrs. Ubi loves... Er rather, loved her Chanel J12: Unfortunately, it's not in any wearable state at the moment...

ETA makes a lever that eliminates that stop. If you're working with an ETA movement, that would be the solution. Or simply file down that notch to eliminate that position. Stilty's done this job before...

Hmmmm... If you have an SLR lens, yo can try the flipped lens technique on your P&S. Just hold the SLR lens backwards to the lens on your Lumix...

The guy likes his Corums. Some interesting stuff, and some stuff that is indeed very tacky... Very eccentric collection.

Thank you, Pugs. I've learned quite a lot from you and BT over the years... And for that, I'm grateful. I'm still learning... And have a ways to go... But it's definitely a lot of fun, and an unexpected secondary hobby resulting from my first love of watches!

That is correct. They had 6 of them for sale at this price; all with the older small clous dials in blue if I recall correct. Not sure if they ever did sell all 6...

I use a Canon Rebel EOS with a 55mm Macro lens. Lighting is natural sunlight from a difused glass block window... And I also use Pugs' lens reversal method as well from time to time... I have no idea what aperture, fstop, etc. etc. I use...

Manual wnding may damage the clutch and click levers over time and if not careful. So, while it's possible, it may not necessarily be a good idea to do on a daily basis; especially when an auto wind rotor will do the job anyways. BTW, if you've ever handled a Seiko automatic, there is no option to manually wind... They just remove that option altogether...

I''ll be heading over to the Omega AD's after work so they can size it for me Okay, not really... But I probably will have my usual local independent guy pressure test it for me today I'm almost tempted to pick up another 4th gen so I can pop the crystal out and use that one as the AR specimen; this way, I can keep the current 4th gen in tact and wearable while the crystal is getting coated. Then, a simple matter of swapping crystals, getting the other crystal done and then figuring out what to do with the new one. Maybe another project?

Registered should be pretty secure; I know that within the U.S., the parcel is signed and accounted for each time it changes hands in the chain of delivery. Also, the edges are sealed to provide evidence of tampering. Down side is no tracking. Int'l may be different; when I receive registered mail, it's usually pretty standard packaging with no requisite to seal edges, so different standards and protocol may apply. Usually when I send Int'l, I send EMS since it's fast and trackable. However, it may not e as secure as registered...

I've had registered mail coming from Germany to CO take almost a month. I wouldn't write it off just yet...

Welcome back, T! Sounds like the road trip was a lot of fun! Been thinking about taking the kids on a road trip at some point; to where, I have no idea. Maybe Disney Land? Travelling with a 2 year old kinda scares me though...

Thanks, gents. This was a fun one to build... But maybe a little too simple to complete The 2892-2 datewheel was a direct fit, and shouldn't be too difficult to find; I'm sure plenty of PAM27/28/29/63 owners who have replaced their's with a Lello wheel will have an old DW that they likely wouldn't mind parting with It should be a direct fit to the 2824-2 and looks the business I should note that the black 2824-2 datewheel is probably the same either way, so if you don't have a 2892 DW, the 2824 DW can be used with the same results. As for total cost- I'm at a little over $1k inclusive of the base watch. Gen crown and AR might bump this up another $100 - $125 so still below the cost of a second hand gen by 45% or so. Maybe not the best value for a franken, but my drive to build was fueled more out of curiosity than cash flow

Jah. Dis iz Ahnuuld Schwahtzuneggah. Fork you ahzhole. [/austrian accent]